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| - David's Bridal was the first of four stores that I visited this past week for my gown hunting adventure with my family (who flew in specifically for the purpose of helping me find the dress I will get married in).
I don't think it's fair to write a review on a bridal store based on whether or not it is the location where I will purchase my bridal gown, so I am going to focus on the dresses themselves, the service, the prices, and any other tidbits that may be interesting for brides-to-be (and in some cases, members of the bridal party as well). My hope is that my review will help you make an informed decision about whether or not this store is worth visiting during your own bridal gown adventure.
PRO:
For each style of gown, they have a wide range of sizes ready to try on, so you don't have to squeeze yourself into a sample size if you're a bit bigger or find yourself swimming in a too-large gown if you're on the petite side. It makes it easy to see what the gown will ACTUALLY look like on you once ordered.
CON:
Having multiple sizes per gown means that there aren't as many different styles available as it appears when you first walk into the store. Once I had narrowed down exactly what I was looking for in a dress in terms of look and details, I only ended up with about 6 gowns that really fit my criteria in the entire store.
PRO:
They have everything you could possibly need to picture yourself as you will look on your wedding day. Don't have the right bra? They'll supply one for you to use during your visit. Didn't bring shoes? No problem! Curious how a necklace will look with your #1 choice gown? Go ahead and try one on!
CON:
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of bridal STUFF in front of you and forget that the dress has to come first, and the details can come later.
PRO:
Plenty of decent sized dressing rooms (with my name and wedding date posted on the door for a personalized touch) with plenty of mirrors and space to marvel at how good you look in a wedding gown (go ahead and ogle).
CON:
There were no apple boxes/platform to stand on! I didn't even know what I was missing until I arrived at the next bridal store on my list! As a 5'2" woman who will undoubtedly have to shorten whatever dress I end up getting, I feel like I didn't get to see the dress in as good a light as possible. Maybe they had boxes somewhere and I should have asked to be elevated when trying on the gowns? It was my first stop and I didn't really think to request this.
PRO:
My budget was around $1000 before alterations (with the willingness to go over if it was the absolute PERFECT dress for me) and I think everything I pulled that I loved was $1000 or under. Even a couple of the White by Vera Wang dresses I grabbed were still within my budget. You have a very good chance of finding something that fits both you and your wedding budget.
CON:
Less expensive dresses do equal less expensive details and features (for the most part). That being said, my favourite gown ($1000 on the nose) was stunning, and featured delicate bead-work and fabric that felt good on my skin. As well, the Vera Wang dresses had very luxurious fabrics that were beautiful, yet affordable.
PRO:
My consultant Paige was very helpful, and answered any and all questions that I had. She took my measurements and saved my size and favourite dress style into their system in the event that I decide to go back later and purchase my gown at David's. There was never any pressure to buy that day, and since we had a bit of extra time left in my appointment slot once I finished trying on dresses, Paige indulged my desire to see my sister in some bridesmaid dresses and continued to assist us well after I was back in my street clothes. As well, I was delighted to learn that they were cool with us taking pictures of our favourite choices (watching too much Say Yes To The Dress made me think that photos in a bridal store were a HUGE no-no), and those photos were actually incredibly helpful in my decision making process.
CON:
No cons about Paige. She was great and made me feel important and beautiful. But as a warning to other brides: I visited David's at 2:00PM on a Thursday. There were only a couple of other customers in the store which made for the ideal shopping experience. If you go on an evening or weekend, I imagine this place gets quite harried and I wouldn't be surprised if each consultant had to help more than one bride at a time. If you can, try to go on a weekday morning or afternoon so you can be the center of your consultants attention.
tl;dr conclusion: You can go in with almost any budget and find something you'll be proud to call yours on your wedding day. If you want to keep shopping simple, this store can easily be your one-stop shop for all your bridal and bridal party needs.
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